If your home is on the market, you know just how important it is to keep it clean and tidy in case your agent calls with a last-minute showing. While piling in the car each time a showing rolls around can feel like a chore, real estate professionals across the board agree that it’s best to be out of sight when a potential buyer comes to view your home.

When buyers walk into a home and see the owners present, they become uncomfortable and feel as if they’re intruding, which may cause them to race through the home without getting a real feel as to whether or not they like it.

One rationale for staying behind is that the sellers often think those looking at the home won’t be able to find everything and they must be there to point out the important features. Another reason homeowners think it’s necessary to be present during a showing is because they feel they can better “sell” the property by talking about the positives.

Truth be told, that’s rarely the case. Your real estate agent is trained in providing all the details related to the home, the property and its surroundings, and they also know how to read prospective buyers so they can relay the information at an appropriate time. In fact, if you bombard a seller with too much information all at once, you’re going to leave a less-than-favorable impression.

Let the buyer discover the wonderful things about your home on their own. If you have a nice home with all of the features they’re looking for, they don’t need you pointing things out. You may even hurt your chances of getting the home sold by calling attention to something they aren’t looking for.

When prospective buyers know you’re there —or following them around room to room—they are less likely to open closets or doors because they feel as though they’re intruding. This keeps them from viewing everything the home has to offer, making it less likely that they’ll be interested in putting an offer on the home.

While some sellers choose to wait outside in their car or on the patio during a showing, a better alternative than taking the tour with a prospective buyer, it’s still not ideal. Again, if prospective buyers feel like they’re being rushed, they aren’t going to spend an adequate amount of time viewing your home. Instead, they’ll rush through the home and move on to the next property on their list.

It’s understandable that sellers don’t always want to leave—especially when several showings are scheduled for one day. Plus, with little ones, dinners to cook and work to be done, it’s not always feasible to get up at a moment’s notice to leave. This is especially true during the cold winter months, when you can’t simply take a walk around the block or head to the park and read for an hour.

Remember, you want buyers to spend as much time as they want in your home, envisioning the possibility of living there. While getting out of the house may not always be convenient, it’ll be worth it in the long run.